Premium
Multifunctional Polypeptide–PEO Nanoreactors via the Hydrophobic Switch
Author(s) -
Wu Yuzhou,
Wang Tao,
Ng David Y. W.,
Weil Tanja
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
macromolecular rapid communications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.348
H-Index - 154
eISSN - 1521-3927
pISSN - 1022-1336
DOI - 10.1002/marc.201200227
Subject(s) - nanoreactor , amphiphile , micelle , polymer , drug delivery , fluorophore , chemistry , hydrophobic effect , nanocarriers , combinatorial chemistry , hydrophobe , materials science , nanotechnology , copolymer , nanoparticle , organic chemistry , fluorescence , biochemistry , physics , quantum mechanics , aqueous solution
We prepare various protein‐derived amphiphilic polymers. By modifying the polypeptide backbone with a few (5–8) hydrophilic or lipophilic substituents, we are able to switch the hydrophobicity of the polymer and control the formation of stable nano‐sized micelles. In the hydrophobic interior of these micelles, ethynyl groups are introduced to provide a nanoreactor environment for click reactions with lipophilic cargo molecules, such as 3‐azidocoumarin, a hydrophobic fluorophore, and the anti‐cancer drug doxorubicin. These protein‐derived amphiphilic polymers reported herein offer a promising potential to design a delivery platform for biomedical applications.